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DILG, PNP preparing for Teves return
Both the Department of Justice and the Philippine National Police are making preparations to secure the detention of expelled Negros Oriental congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr. once he arrives from East Timor where he was arrested on Thursday after months in hiding......»»
PNP to procure 4,000 bodycams in 2024
The Philippine National Police is set to address the shortage of body-worn cameras in its inventory by procuring an additional 4,000 units in 2024......»»
Philippine football body backs Saudi Arabia s FIFA World Cup hosting bid
The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) expressed its full support to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s intention to bid for the hosting rights of the FIFA World Cup 2034......»»
Chop-chop murder suspect shot dead
JOLO, Sulu — An alleged member of the Abu Sayyaf Group was killed while nine police officers were wounded, including three senior police officers, during a nearly three-hour clash in Barangay Siet Higad, Panamao, Sulu. Police and military operatives were about to serve a warrant of arrest against the suspect at about 2:30 a.m. yesterday when a firefight erupted and lasted until 5 a.m., P/Col. John Francis Encinareal said. Encinareal identified the slain suspect as Muksidal A. Jumadil, a resident of Barangay Kamindus, Luuk, Sulu, and temporarily residing in Barangay Siet Higad, Panamao, Sulu. Jumadil was the primary suspect in the brutal killing of Nurdija Dammang Aminiddin, a small-town businesswoman in Barangay Kanmindus, Luuk, according to Encinareal. Jumadil killed Dammang, and her body was cut into small pieces and found scattered in different locations in the village. A case for murder was filed against Jumadil and is still pending at the office of the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office. The wounded police officers were identified as P/Capt. Nolie L. Agmaliw, P/Lt. Jhorlino Rico D. Apal, and P/Lt. Jose Earl Abdurajan III. Also wounded were Pat. Lionel A. Suarverdez, P/Cpl. Reymir M. Subion, P/Cpl. Lindo M. Macua, Pat. Edison Ray D. Paris, P/Cpl. Oliver R. Alviar, and P/Cpl. Andres G. Dalang. Jumadil was facing charges for violating RA 10591, or Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunition, with a P200,000 bail bond. Recovered at the encounter site were one unit M14 rifle, one piece bandolier, five M14 magazines, and a total of 65 live 7.62 bullets. Two body-worn cameras (with Boblov serial numbers LYY1127 and 1234567890 of CIDG Sulu PFU were used during the operation, Encinareal said. The post Chop-chop murder suspect shot dead appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
QCPD chief leads distribution of BSKE equipment
Quezon City Police District Director P/Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan led the distribution of equipment Thursday, to be used for the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections 2023. The program highlighted the distribution of 179 body-worn cameras from the Quezon City local government unit to QCPD police officers who will be deployed to 107 different polling centers during the BSKE 2023. The use of these tools will guarantee that every action taken during the election is precisely recorded. The Task Force District Anti-Crime Reaction Team was also launched during the activity. The TF-DART was created to deter criminal activities, provide immediate response to incidents, and support the electoral process to maintain peace and order for the upcoming Barangay and SK Elections 2023 in Quezon City. The team is composed of skilled and well-trained motorcycle officers, wherein the Acting Deputy District Director for Operations P/Col. Josefino Ligan was designated as the overall supervisor. The team is also equipped with 22 motorcycles, body vest, body cameras, tactical helmet, and hand-held radios. Meanwhile, the QCPD conducted operations against wanted persons from September 10-12, 2023 wherein 50 wanted persons were arrested by QCPD. “I would like to take the opportunity to thank our beloved Mayor Josefina ‘Joy’ Belmonte for providing this logistics, the body worn cameras, the motorcycles, and other enforcement equipment,” Maranan added. Maranan said that one week before election day, they will deploy 100 percent total strength of the QCPD including 900 personnel at the voting centers, treasurer’s offices, national printing offices, and other vital installations in connection with elections. The post QCPD chief leads distribution of BSKE equipment appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Loch Ness hunt biggest in decades
DRUMNADROCHIT, United Kingdom (AFP) — The biggest search for the Loch Ness Monster in five decades takes place in the Scottish Highlands Saturday, as researchers and enthusiasts from around the world meet to try to track down the elusive Nessie. The expedition will deploy drones with thermal scanners, boats with infrared cameras and an underwater hydrophone to try to unravel a mystery that has captivated the world for generations. “It’s always been our goal to record, study and analyse all manner of natural behavior and phenomena that may be more challenging to explain,” said Alan McKenna, of co-organizers Loch Ness Exploration. The searchers believe the thermal scanners could prove crucial in identifying any strange anomalies in the murky depths. The hydrophone will allow the searchers to listen for unusual Nessie-like underwater calls. Stretching 23 miles and with a maximum depth of 788 feet, the freshwater loch is the UK’s largest lake by volume. Reports of an aquatic monster lurking in Loch Ness date back to ancient times, with stone carvings in the area depicting a mysterious beast with flippers. The earliest written record of the creature dates back to AD 565 in a biography of the Irish monk, Saint Columba. According to the text, the monster attacked a swimmer and was about to strike again when Columba commanded it to retreat. More recently, in May 1933, the local Inverness Courier newspaper reported a couple driving along a newly constructed lochside road seeing “a tremendous upheaval” in the water. “There, the creature disported itself, rolling and plunging for fully a minute, its body resembling that of a whale, and the water cascading and churning like a simmering cauldron,” the report said. In December that year, British newspaper the Daily Mail recruited a South African big game hunter, Marmaduke Wetherell, to locate the sea serpent. Wetherell found large footprints that he believed belonged to “a very powerful soft-footed animal about 20 feet long.” But zoologists at London’s Natural History Museum determined that the tracks were made with an umbrella stand or ashtray that had a hippopotamus leg as a base. In 1934, English physician Robert Wilson captured what came to be known as the “Surgeon’s Photograph,” seemingly depicting Nessie’s head and elongated neck emerging from the water. The photo, published in the Daily Mail, was later revealed to be part of a hoax, catapulted the Loch Ness Monster into international fame. There are now more than 1,100 officially recorded Nessie sightings, according to The Loch Ness Center in Drumnadrochit, near Inverness. The monster brings in millions of pounds in tourism revenue to the Scottish economy each year. Over the years, scientists and amateur enthusiasts have tried to find evidence of a large fish such as a sturgeon living in the depths of the loch. Some have suggested the monster could be a prehistoric marine reptile like a plesiosaur. In 1972, the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau undertook the biggest search to date but returned empty-handed. In 1987, Operation Deepscan deployed sonar equipment across the width of the loch and claimed to have found an “unidentified object of unusual size and strength.” In 2018, researchers conducted a DNA survey of Loch Ness to determine what organisms live in the waters. No signs of a plesiosaur or other such large animal were found, though the results indicated the presence of numerous eels. “The weekend gives an opportunity to search the waters in a way that has never been done before, and we can’t wait to see what we find,” said Paul Nixon, the general manager of the Loch Ness Center. The post Loch Ness hunt biggest in decades appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘You are supposed to preserve life’: Hontiveros slams PNP over Jemboy Baltazar’s death
A Senate panel on Tuesday tackled the recent killing of Jerhode Jemboy Baltazar by six members of the Navotas Police Station. During the hearing, Senator Risa Hontiveros slammed the actions of members of the Philippine National Police who are supposed to protect citizens from harm and any type of danger. Hontiveros questioned why the PNP allowed members of the Special Weapons And Tactics Philippines or SWAT team as well as their intelligence service to conduct the operation against the unarmed 17-year-old Baltazar, who later on turned out to be the victim of mistaken identity. Hontiveros likewise lambasted the police officers for leaving the victim’s body after shooting him dead, saying their act was a violation of PNP policies. “Sirs, you are supposed to preserve life, not take it,” she said. Hontiveros chided the PNP for filing only reckless imprudence resulting in homicide cases against the involved policemen. “Parang ang lumalabas, aksidente lang ang nangyari, na walang intensyong pumatay nang pinaulanan nila ng bala ang bata (It appears that it was just an accident, that there was no intention to kill when they rained bullet on the child). I want to know the reasoning behind filing such a case. 'Yang lahat-lahat na yan, yan na ba ang sinasabing new era of policing? (All these, is this what's called the new era of policing?), ” she stressed. Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said the chamber’s hearing seeks clarification on the status of administrative and criminal cases involving PNP personnel involved in shooting incidents during police operations. “Similar to all our other hearings, we are here not to point fingers nor to determine the guilt or innocence of anyone, but we will focus on the three policy considerations,” he said. Dela Rosa said the Navotas police officers involved breached the PNP’s rules of engagement. The Senate panel is looking at whether the PNP guidelines on the use of body-worn cameras were strictly followed, and if there are sufficient training programs being conducted by the PNP to ensure that their personnel are, at all times, knowledgeable with policies and procedures on police operations. The post ‘You are supposed to preserve life’: Hontiveros slams PNP over Jemboy Baltazar’s death appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Russia’s Luna-25 probe crashes on the Moon
Russia's first Moon mission in almost 50 years, the Luna-25 probe, has crashed on the Moon's surface after an unspecified incident during pre-landing maneuvers, the Russian space agency Roscosmos said Sunday. The crash comes almost a year and a half into Russia's Ukraine offensive that has seen Moscow isolated, with punishing sanctions that have affected its space industry. The failed mission comes as several companies and nations have entered a Moon race, and put a spotlight on the Russian space sector's troubles -- from corruption to lack of innovation and partnerships. Communication with Luna-25 was lost at 2:57 pm (1157 GMT) on Saturday, Roscosmos said. According to preliminary findings, the lander "has ceased to exist following a collision with the Moon's surface". "Measures taken on August 19 and 20 to locate the craft and make contact with it were unsuccessful," the space agency added. It said a ministerial investigation would be opened into the causes of the crash, without giving any indication of what technical problems might have occurred. With Luna-25, Moscow had hoped to build on the legacy of its Soviet-era Luna program, marking a return to independent Moon exploration in the face of financial troubles and corruption scandals at the program and growing isolation from the West. Valery Yegorov, a former researcher with Russia's space program who now lives in exile, said the crash would severely affect Roscosmos's future missions, with the next one not planned until 2028 or "even later". He suggested the probe's failure was linked to electronic problems, possibly resulting from Western sanctions on Moscow. The Luna-25 launch was postponed several times in the last five years, Yegorov said, "because of sanctions imposed on Russia in response to seizing Crimea". Research 'not a priority' "Science, fundamental research, some kind of humanistic ideas about space colonization, about revealing the secrets of the universe, are clearly not a priority right now," said Yegorov, who has denounced the Kremlin's Ukraine offensive. The 800-kilogram (1,760-pound) Luna-25 probe was to have made a soft landing on Monday on the Moon's south pole -- which would have been a historic first. Russia has not attempted to land on a celestial body since 1989, when the Soviet Union's Phobos 2 probe to explore the moons of Mars failed after an onboard computer malfunction. Roscosmos chief Yuri Borisov had said the venture would be "risky", telling President Vladimir Putin in June that the probability of it succeeding was "around 70 percent". Luna-25 had been successfully placed in the Moon's orbit on Wednesday after being launched from the Vostochny cosmodrome in the Russian Far East. Space race But on Saturday, Roscosmos said an "emergency" had been detected during a maneuver by the probe before its landing, preventing the operation from being carried out. Luna-25 had been expected to stay on the Moon for a year, collecting soil samples and looking for water -- an ingredient enthusiasts hope could be used to make rocket fuel for future launches and support potential colonies living there. Cameras installed on the lander had already taken shots of the lunar surface. Doubts had already emerged about Russia's long-running space cooperation with the West in the wake of its military campaign in Ukraine. While Russia has said it intends to use the International Space Station until 2028, the European Space Agency has dropped plans to co-operate with Moscow on Moon and Mars missions. Moscow last landed a probe -- Luna-24 -- on the Moon in 1976, before shifting away from lunar exploration in favor of missions to Venus and building the Mir space station. Landing Luna-25 successfully would have paved the way for further Russian missions to the Moon, at a time when India and China are launching their own probes and the United States returns to manned missions. India's competing space probe, Chandrayaan-3, entered the Moon's orbit earlier in August, also with the goal of landing on the south pole. Only Russia, the United States and China have previously achieved a controlled landing on the Moon. The post Russia’s Luna-25 probe crashes on the Moon appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Jemboy unarmed, posed no threat’
The chief of the Northern Police District yesterday acknowledged that Jerhode “Jemboy” Baltazar was not armed and posed no threat to anyone when he was shot dead by members of the Navotas City police. “We saw that there was no threat and no aggression from the person being arrested but they immediately used their firearms. So our police should be held liable for that,” Brig. Gen. Rizalito Gapas said Thursday. Gapas added that the Navotas police investigation of the “accidental shooting” of the teen was “not exhaustive.” He noted the cops involved were not subjected to paraffin tests to determine who fired their guns. The cops violated the Philippine National Police operational guidelines and the principle of “force continuum,” he said. A use-of-force continuum is the standard for how much force law enforcement personnel may use against a resisting subject in a given situation. It typically includes an officer’s demeanor to de-escalate a situation, and the use of empty hands to control the subject, such as grabbing, pushing, or handcuffing. Likewise, force continuum may put into play non-lethal devices like pepper spray and tasers. The six policemen also did not wear body cameras during the operation in violation of the rules, Gapas said. Navotas police chief, Col. Allan Umipig, was relieved from his post on Wednesday. He earlier refused to identify the six cops who were only charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide. The lawyer of the Baltazar family said they want the charge to be elevated to murder, while forensic expert Dr. Raquel Fortun said the cops should be charged with homicide at least. Fortun said the gunshot wound to the head of Baltazar was not immediately fatal, and he might have lived had not the Navotas policemen prevented people from pulling him out of the river. The cops were on a follow-up operation against a murder suspect when they chanced on Baltazar and allegedly mistook him for their suspect. They said they merely fired warning shots at Baltazar. Umipig, who was replaced by Col. Santos Sumingwa Jr., denied there was a cover-up. Aside from Umipig, 22 other police personnel were relieved from their posts. The Philippine National Police-Internal Affairs Service also sought to charge Umipig with dishonesty and command responsibility. IAS Inspector General Alfegar Triambulo said he issued a directive to the National Capital Region Police Office “to have the Navotas chief of police relieved.” Umipig allegedly ordered the names of 11 police officers stricken from the report on the killing of Baltazar, Triambulo said. On 2 August, Baltazar was in a small boat fishing with a friend on the Navotas River in Barangay NBBS Kaunlaran, when the policemen shot him. Baltazar was laid to rest on Wednesday. The post Jemboy unarmed, posed no threat’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Wave of violent Indonesia muggings sparks ‘shoot-to-kill’ calls
A spate of violent muggings by machete-wielding thieves in Indonesia has drawn coded calls from prominent politicians for them to be killed-on-sight by police, in comments condemned by rights groups as condoning extrajudicial murders. Last month, police in the northern Sumatran city of Medan shot dead a "begal" -- a term used to describe a type of street thief known for their brutality -- as part of what the force said was a bid to "eradicate" them. Bobby Nasution, Medan mayor and President Joko Widodo's son-in-law, lauded the officers involved, saying such criminals should be shot dead on the spot. "I appreciate this because begal and criminals have no place in Medan," he wrote in an Instagram post on July 9, sharing footage of the suspect's dead body. President Widodo has not commented on Nasution's statements. Other leaders, including the governor of North Sumatra province, have supported the comments. Rights groups want an investigation into the killing, and have condemned the rhetoric as giving officers and citizens the right to take the law into their own hands. "It is inappropriate for public officials to declare support for such extrajudicial actions," Amnesty International Indonesia director Usman Hamid told AFP. "The shooting not only violates human rights principles –- such as the right to life, the right to a fair trial -- but also the regulations." Indonesian police rules state that firearms should only be used as an officer's last resort. Indonesia's Institute for Criminal Justice Reform called Nasution's words "irresponsible". Some public sentiment, however, is on the mayor's side. Under viral videos of the begal attacks, social media users call for the thieves to be shot dead or to face the death penalty. And in a village east of Jakarta, local leaders have issued a 10 million rupiah ($662) bounty for the capture of begals. 'Begal' terror Begals have savagely attacked their victims with sickles, airguns and rocks, terrorising Indonesians in the capital Jakarta, Medan and other urban centres. They approach their victims on scooters, usually in carefully chosen areas that have few security cameras, so that they can rapidly escape after the robbery. "They have to do it quickly and cruelly to make the victim surrender," said Adrianus Meliala, a criminologist at the University of Indonesia. "Begal run away using the city labyrinth they have mastered." Medan, Indonesia's fifth-largest city, has been hit by 45 begal attacks since January, police say, and one brutal case two months ago caused an uproar. Student Insanul Anshori Hasibuan was riding a scooter home when a man hacked him in the head with a machete, stealing his wallet. Hasibuan, 22, died in hospital after the attacker and several accomplices escaped with the contents of the wallet: just 70,000 rupiah ($4.60). Four suspects were later arrested, and face up to 15 years in jail if convicted. Such brutal attacks have been splashed across Indonesian media, raising public fear and allowing Nasution to cast himself as a champion for law and order. According to official data, the rate of robberies has risen in 2023, but experts say Indonesian criminal data is often incomplete due to underreporting. Indonesia's national police force did not respond to an AFP request for comment. The issue is a complex culmination of factors, including rising poverty in one of the world's most unequal countries, the difficulty of countering such quick and violent attacks, weak rule of law and crumbling public trust in the police. "The begal phenomenon cannot be separated from the social economic order of society," said Ida Ruwaida of the University of Indonesia. Rights groups say they are concerned that calls by prominent politicians such as Nasution to kill suspects on sight could lead to chaos on the country's streets. "We are concerned that the statement by the mayor of Medan can serve as legitimacy for more extrajudicial killings," said Hamid. "This is very dangerous." The post Wave of violent Indonesia muggings sparks ‘shoot-to-kill’ calls appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
EDITORIAL - Camera low bat
For 2024, the Philippine National Police is seeking funds to procure 2,000 body cameras......»»
Rise of the machines: AI spells danger for Hollywood stunt workers
Hollywood's striking actors fear that artificial intelligence is coming for their jobs -- but for many stunt performers, that dystopian danger is already a reality. From "Game of Thrones" to the latest Marvel superhero movies, cost-slashing studios have long used computer-generated background figures to reduce the number of actors needed for battle scenes. Now, the rise of AI means cheaper and more powerful techniques are being explored to create highly elaborate action sequences such as car chases and shootouts -- without those pesky (and expensive) humans. Stunt work, a time-honored Hollywood tradition that has spanned from silent epics through to Tom Cruise's latest "Mission Impossible," is at risk of rapidly shrinking. "The technology is exponentially getting faster and better," said Freddy Bouciegues, stunt coordinator for movies like "Free Guy" and "Terminator: Dark Fate." "It's really a scary time right now." Studios are already requiring stunt and background performers to take part in high-tech 3D "body scans" on set, often without explaining how or when the images will be used. Advancements in AI mean these likenesses could be used to create detailed, eerily realistic "digital replicas," which can perform any action or speak any dialogue its creators wish. Bouciegues fears producers could use these virtual avatars to replace "nondescript" stunt performers -- such as those playing pedestrians leaping out of the way of a car chase. "There could be a world where they said, 'No, we don't want to bring these 10 guys in... we'll just add them in later via effects and AI. Now those guys are out of the job." But according to director Neill Blomkamp, whose new film "Gran Turismo" hits theaters August 25, even that scenario only scratches the surface. The role AI will soon play in generating images from scratch is "hard to compute," he told AFP. "Gran Turismo" primarily uses stunt performers driving real cars on actual racetracks, with some computer-generated effects added on top for one particularly complex and dangerous scene. But Blomkamp predicts that, in as soon as six or 12 months, AI will reach a point where it can generate photo-realistic footage like high-speed crashes based on a director's instructions alone. At that point, "you take all of your CG (computer graphics) and VFX (visual effects) computers and throw them out the window, and you get rid of stunts, and you get rid of cameras, and you don't go to the racetrack," he told AFP. "It's that different." The human element The lack of guarantees over the future use of AI is one of the major factors at stake in the ongoing strike by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) and Hollywood's writers, who have been on the picket lines 100 days. SAG-AFTRA last month warned that studios intend to create realistic digital replicas of performers, to use "for the rest of eternity, in any project they want" -- all for the payment of one day's work. The studios dispute this, and say they have offered rules including informed consent and compensation. But as well as the potential implications for thousands of lost jobs, Bouciegues warns that no matter how good the technology has become, "the audience can still tell" when the wool is being pulled over their eyes by computer-generated VFX. Even if AI can perfectly replicate a battle, explosion or crash, it cannot supplant the human element that is vital to any successful action film, he said, pointing to Cruise's recent "Top Gun" and "Mission Impossible" sequels. "He uses real stunt people, and he does real stunts, and you can see it on the screen. For me, I feel like it subconsciously affects the viewer," said Bouciegues. Current AI technology still gives "slightly unpredictable results," agreed Blomkamp, who began his career in VFX, and directed Oscar-nominated "District 9." "But it's coming... It's going to fundamentally change society, let alone Hollywood. The world is going to be different." For stunt workers like Bouciegues, the best outcome now is to blend the use of human performers with VFX and AI to pull off sequences that would be too dangerous with old-fashioned techniques alone. "I don't think this job will ever just cease to be," said Bouciegues, of stunt work. "It just definitely is going to get smaller and more precise." But even that is a sobering reality for stunt performers who are currently standing on picket lines outside Hollywood studios. "Every stunt guy is the alpha male type, and everybody wants to say, 'Oh, we're good,'" said Bouciegues. "But I personally have spoken to a lot of people that are freaked out and nervous." The post Rise of the machines: AI spells danger for Hollywood stunt workers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Vloggers warned: Watch what you’re posting
Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. reminded vloggers and content creators to be responsible in creating videos that they upload on social media and never to make jokes about crimes as they could be held accountable for tumultuous and other disturbances of public order. Acorda made the remark after rapid and resolute response to a highly controversial viral video. The PNP has taken into custody three individuals identified as Mark San Rafael, Mark Lester San Rafael and Eleazar Steven Fuentes all legal ages, have been apprehended on Aug. 1 based on a warrant of arrest on charges of Violation of RPC Art. 513 (Alarm and Scandal) as per Criminal Case No. 83313. “The PNP remains steadfast in upholding the law and ensuring that individuals are held accountable for their deeds. Pranks that induce panic and disrupt public order cannot be taken lightly. We commend our personnel for their swift action in this instance, “ Acorda said in a statement. The controversial case centers around their involvement in a staged kidnapping prank, which triggered widespread public outrage and concern. The incident, which happened 6 April, came under intense scrutiny following the dissemination of a viral video by the vlogger known as “TOKOMI.” The video portrayed a meticulously orchestrated kidnapping scenario. Staff Sergeant Ronnie Conmigo, a dedicated member of the PNP assigned to PNP IMEG, played a pivotal role in unraveling the prank and formally lodging a complaint against the responsible parties. The video, posted by the vlogger under the pseudonym “Tukomi Blog,” depicted a sophisticated fake kidnapping episode that transpired along Saging Street, Phase 2, Barangay CAA. Criminal complaint The ensuing public uproar prompted Conmigo to initiate a criminal complaint for Alarm and Scandal, subsequently filed before the Office of the City Prosecutor on 11 April 2023. The wheels of justice continued to turn, culminating in the issuance of an Arrest Warrant by Judge Lynnette May D. Deloria-Manarang of Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 124, Las Piñas City. Throughout the arrest process, the PNP meticulously adhered to prescribed protocols, capturing crucial incidents through body-worn cameras and alternate recording devices in accordance with the Rules on the Use of Body-Worn Cameras in Warrant Execution. Following the due legal procedures and bail payment, the accused were granted release from custody on 2 August 2023, as directed by Presiding Judge Lynnette May D. Deloria-Manarang of Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 124. As the legal proceedings continue to unfold, the arraignment of the accused is scheduled for 10 August at 2 p.m, before Judge Deloria-Manarang at MTC Branch 124. Acorda said this incident serves as a poignant reminder of the imperative for responsible online conduct and the far-reaching consequences arising from flouting the law. He said the PNP’s decisive and principled action in this case unequivocally underscores its unwavering commitment to preserving public safety and order in the digital age. The post Vloggers warned: Watch what you’re posting appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
To catch a thief
Artificial Intelligence is now being tapped for crime prevention. Inspired by the 2002 Tom Cruise movie, “Minority Report,” about a futuristic police crime-busting technology, Japan is pilot testing a network of AI-enhanced security cameras that can detect suspicious behavior to preempt criminal activities like shoplifting and trespassing. The National Police Agency’s predictive policing cameras can also detect weapons and alert law enforcers to observe the behavior patterns of suspicious individuals in a crowd, such as fidgeting, restlessness and rapid eye movement, Daily Mail reported. The observations are inputted by the cameras’ software for better crime detection and deterrence. The result of the pilot test will be the basis for the adoption of the technology by the Japanese police. Meanwhile, business establishments can still rely on good old alarm systems for protection against crime. That’s how the VacationLand Federal Credit Union bank in Huron, Ohio, USA alerted police to a break-in on 29 July. Utility equipment — a recycling bin — also came in handy to literally catch the suspected burglar. Footage from police body cams showed Tristan J. Heidl, 27, of Huron, falling into the waiting arms of two responding officers when he exited the bank empty-handed. According to Huron Police Chief Terry Graham, the officers watched as a bag of tools was dropped through a trap door above the credit union’s drive-thru lane followed by the dangling legs of the suspect who fell into a recycling bin below the hatch, NBC News reported. Cops were waiting for the burglar, who failed to crack the bank’s safes, beside the bin. The suspect had no choice but to surrender. Heidl was charged with breaking and entering, possession of criminal tools, and safecracking, Graham said, according to NBC News. WJG @tribunephl_wjg The post To catch a thief appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Guess who?
It is amusing, if not vexing, to see some high officials and members of the deliberative body competing with each other to call attention to themselves. They blabber inane remarks to the exasperation and vexation of the public. A few of them boxed in into any controversy that catches national intention and inflicts us with what obviously appears to be nonsensical, unthinking, and intelligent narratives, forgetting that they look ridiculous and comical in the process. A few others sponsor resolutions on matters not within their turf and expertise. They express their opinions without studying the subject matter and foist theories and ideas exposing their intellectual barrenness. They inject their unstudied take on foreign policy. They try very hard to upstage the Chief Executive in matters of foreign policy, particularly on the issue of our foreign relations with China and the United States. They also have the gumption to teach the President what to do about the enforcement of the arbitral ruling in favor of the Philippines rendered by the Permanent Arbitration Court vis-a-vis the conflicting claims in the West Philippine Sea, by giving him options on what to undertake either to enforce the favorable ruling or to rally the other countries to support the Philippines in putting to a halt the Chinese unlawful incursions to the former’s territory. They also input their pretended nationalism on the issue of human rights violations and the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. At least two of them contradict the President on many occasions in the matter of the ICC jurisdiction. Despite being called out on the nitwittery of their action they foolishly cling to it. Others initiate and pursue investigations on almost anything that fancies them or that will give them the opportunity to put them in the limelight for a free media mileage. A few numbers eyeing re-election in 2025 have started campaigning by advertising themselves in media outlets under the guise of asking the public to support a particular government program, introducing themselves completely with an accompanying campaign jingle heralding their names. Others use different tact, they shamelessly use their offices and positions and travel around the country using taxpayers’ money under the guise of official work but actually have slowly established a network of local government officials, for a shot at high national positions. Still others, do it brazenly, committing treasonous acts by plunging the dagger at the backs of their unsuspecting potential rivals for power. There are those, of course, who always make it a point to be on the side of the President in every official and social event that the latter attends, to make it appear they are close to him. They are always in praise of the principal in whatever he does, making themselves more popish than the Pope. Those whose exposure to the fourth estate brought them to where they are now, bring their pomposity and grandstanding in their official activities, acting as if they are still in their talk and public service shows. They browbeat and insult invited guests during inquiries believing their antics appeal to the peanut galleries. They strain themselves showing that they are smart and even scold cerebral academicians only to retreat and hide behind a growl while shifting to another topic in an attempt to camouflage their ignorance. There are also former government men who, in their desire to return to power and influence, the source of their ill-gotten wealth, ingratiate themselves to the present dispensation by publicly siding with the official pronouncements coming from the side of the Pasig River, always praising their bogus credentials. Finally, those who have managed to shockingly get appointments, delude themselves into believing that they were placed there because they deserved to be there, when in reality, it’s a political accommodation to pay off for their asinine pretended loyalty, using gutter language and indecency to get the support of the political followers of the presidential candidate. They have been unmasked as undeserving of the professions they used to belong to. Yes, you guess it right, they are the people being referred to in this article. The post Guess who? appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tainted love: Misinformation drives ‘vaccine-free’ dating
In a private dating group on Facebook, Renee flaunts herself to like-minded singles as a fit, adventurous Kizomba dancer who at 35 exudes "inner child vibes." But her main draw? She is unvaccinated. The Covid-19 pandemic may have receded, but dating apps, websites and social media groups still offer to unite vaccine-hating singles who believe debunked falsehoods such as that coronavirus jabs alter DNA or cause infertility. The trend underscores how anti-vaccine sentiment has become an entrenched identity for many who willfully resist or ignore scientific assertions that inoculations saved tens of millions of lives globally when the pandemic was raging. A prospective match's vaccination status determines compatibility not just for Renee, a self-employed Australian, but for many posting in "unvaxed singles" groups that have cropped up on Facebook. Dating decisions there are driven by chemistry but not science. In one closed group breached by AFP, many listed "no jabbies" as their top dating criteria, while others cheered anti-vaccine advocates as "pure blood freedom fighters." One meme popular in the group described their ideal partner: "She's curvy, funny, intelligent, unvaccinated." It demonstrates how the pandemic turned rejecting vaccines from a personal health decision to the way "people express their personal brand," said Timothy Caulfield, a professor at the University of Alberta in Canada. "It shows how high the walls of their echo chambers are. Being anti-vaccine has become an ideological flag -- a way to demonstrate which team you belong to," Caulfield told AFP. "It is less and less about science and more and more about the values being antivax signal." 'Swipe left' According to a 2022 survey by the Pew Research Center, about half of US adults who used a dating site or app said it was important to see the vaccination status on profiles. "Why is your vaccination status such a big deal? I've even seen it listed as a 'dealbreaker' on some profiles," said a post in a dating discussion group on the online messaging board Reddit. "The profiles I see most state the following: 'if you're vaccinated then please swipe left.'" Some comments in the group referred to vaccinated singles as people carrying "biological weapons," an apparent reference to the debunked claim the vaccinated spread "super strain" variants. Vaccine falsehoods often overlap with other types of misinformation, introducing believers to those espousing the QAnon conspiracy theory and anti-LGBTQ narratives. "Studies have consistently shown that if a person is anti-vaccine – or unvaccinated – you can make a strong guess about that person's positions on a host of other issues," Caulfield said. Spreading falsehoods can also be profitable. The Florida-based Wellness Company sells a detoxification supplement that it claims counteracts the harmful effects of coronavirus jabs, destroying spike proteins to get back "that pre-Covid feeling." But experts and public health authorities told AFP's fact-checkers there is no evidence the nearly $65 supplement does that. The same company also backs a dating website for unvaccinated people called Unjected. Before being accepted, its members are required to have their "vaccination status certified by a medical professional," according to the website. In 2021, US media reported the Unjected app, dubbed as the "Tinder for anti-vaxers," was removed from Apple's App Store over Covid-19 misinformation. A slew of similar apps for unvaccinated singles are available on the Google Play Store. One such platform is called Unjabbed, whose user reviews expressed concern about bugs and phone hacking attempts after the app was downloaded. 'Tall, dark, handsome' At the height of the pandemic in 2021, conventional online dating platforms including Tinder, Hinge and OkCupid sought to boost vaccinations. As part of a White House-backed effort, many platforms allowed users to create badges displaying vaccination status, with OkCupid calling the inoculated the "new tall, dark and handsome." Users who were vaccinated or planned to be saw a spike in matches and engagement, OkCupid said in a blog, adding the "vaccine is really helping people find love." But any future inoculation drive could be jeopardized by anti-vaccine sentiment, which appears resilient even as the pandemic ebbs and travel restrictions are lifted around the world. The allure of finding an unvaccinated partner is reinforced by false social media posts sharing unfounded fears that vaccines can be "shed" or passed onto people through body fluids, threatening fertility. "The only real utility a dating platform like this could have is finding a partner that aligns with your 'medical freedom' views," Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, told AFP. "There is no clinical reason to do so." The post Tainted love: Misinformation drives ‘vaccine-free’ dating appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Joy backs Nestlé Family Festival
Nestlé Philippines held its Family Wellness Festival on Saturday at the Quezon Memorial Circle. Mayor Joy Belmonte of Quezon City said that the local government is committed to providing its citizens with the support they need to have a healthy mind and body. “It’s the right of the people to be afforded ways to be healthy,” she said. “But the local government cannot do it alone. We need the support of the private sector to augment our efforts.” The event, which was expected to welcome 4,000 citizens and residents from nearby cities, was part of Nestlé Philippines’ activities to mark Nutrition Month this July. The festival focused on educating families about good nutrition and how to live healthier, happier lives. Fun games and exciting activities, as well as free personalized nutrition consultations from registered nutritionists-dietitians, were held. Festival-goers also received freebies by exchanging empty sachets and tetra packs of Nestlé products. This was in line with Nestlé Philippines’ 3Rs advocacy to engage more Filipinos to reuse, reduce and recycle plastic waste. “We at Nestlé Philippines believe that good nutrition starts at home,” said Joey Uy III, senior vice president and Head of Corporate Affairs of Nestlé Philippines. “We are bringing the Family Wellness Festival closer to communities as we strive to provide citizens with the right information and tips that can help them improve their health and wellness,” he added. The post Joy backs Nestlé Family Festival appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
MMDA crafts guidelines on use of bodycams
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on Thursday disclosed that it has met with stakeholders last Wednesday to discuss drafted rules on the use of body-worn cameras for traffic management and enforcement operations, ensuring transparency in carrying out apprehensions of violators. MMDA acting chairperson Don Artes said the body cameras with video and audio recording feature would protect both the traffic enforcers and the motorists being apprehended. “The use of body-worn cameras will prevent traffic enforcers from taking bribes and motorists offering bribes since the Metrobase will record the apprehension process. The footage may serve as evidence,” Artes said. The MMDA chief said that the procedure includes what traffic enforcers should say when motorists object to being recorded and if motorists invoke their right to privacy. “We want to hear the comments and suggestions of the stakeholders before its full implementation,” Artes said. The meeting, presided over by Artes, was attended by other agency officials, 1-Rider Partylist Rep. Bonifacio Bosita, public transport groups, motorcycle riders’ associations, automobile associations, Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group, Metro Manila local government units and concerned government agencies, among others. Inputs from the stakeholders will be consolidated and presented to the Metro Manila Council, the governing and policy-making body of the MMDA, whose members are the 17 Metro Manila mayors. Artes said the body-worn cameras, designed to capture and record the entire conduct of the operation, are similar to gadgets being used in the United Kingdom. The gadgets have six to eight hours of battery life. The MMDA said that it will issue 120 body cameras to its traffic enforcers as it moved for a more transparent enforcement of traffic rules and regulations. Meantime, Pangkalahatang Sanggunian Manila and Suburbs Drivers Association national president Obet Martin congratulated Artes on his leadership and expressed appreciation for the MMDA’s action as they called for the inclusion of traffic education in the school curriculum. The post MMDA crafts guidelines on use of bodycams appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
MMDA enforcers to wear body cameras
Traffic enforcers in Metro Manila will soon use body cameras to catch motorists who violate traffic rules, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said yesterday......»»
MMDA given unqualified CoA opinion
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority has received the fourth consecutive unqualified opinion from the Commission on Audit for its fair presentation of financial statements for the fiscal year 2022. Atty. Don Artes, acting chairman of the MMDA, welcomed the audit findings and praised the organization’s staff for their commitment to the efficient management and use of public funds. “We take pride in the four-year streak of unqualified opinions we have received from COA. This audit rating is concrete proof of the MMDA’s transparent governance,” said Artes. “I thank MMDA officials and employees for ensuring the effective and efficient delivery of the agency’s services and that public funds are efficiently utilized for the benefit of the public,” Artes added. The CoA transmitted to MMDA a copy of the Independent Auditor’s Report penned by its supervising auditor Atty. Reynaldo Darang. The accompanying financial statements “present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the MMDA as of 31 December 2022, and its financial performance, changes in net assets/equity, cash flows, and the comparison of budget and actual amounts for the year then ended in accordance with International Public Sector Accounting Standards,” part of the report read. The audit evidence was “sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion,” added Darang in the report. Artes said the MMDA will continue to push for programs and policies pursuant to its mandates and functions. He added that they, at the MMDA, had always been open to innovations. Among the projects they are proud of, according to the MMDA chief, are the establishment of a Disaster Preparedness Training Center, a Motorcycle Riding Academy, the use of body-worn cameras for traffic enforcers, the EDSA Elevated Walkway, Waste-to-Energy program, and the Metro Manila Drainage Master Plan. He said the agency has also transferred to its newly constructed New Head Office Building in Pasig City, a manifestation of its commitment to strengthen the organization and provide better services to all its partners and stakeholders. The post MMDA given unqualified CoA opinion appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»